Resilient wheel



July 24, 1923. 11,462,865

E. F. LJECKFELT RESILIENT WHEEL Filed March 10 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet l 5 A TTORNEY.

July 24, 1923.

E. F. LXECKFELT RESILIENT WHEEL Filed March 10 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR Patented July 24, 1923.

UNITED STATES attests ra rnr caries.

nmmsr r. rmcxrsnr, or remote, newsman.

BESILIENT n aim,

App1ication filed March 10, 1921. Serial No. 451,394.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Eimnsr F. Lrnox- FEIII, a citizen of the United States, and residin at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and tate of Michigan, have invented a new and. Improved Resilient- Wheel, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the construction of wheels having resilient. connections between the rims and the hubs, and its object is to provide a wheel having spokes of substantially L-shape made of flat spring steel and so mounted that each spoke will always assume a; portion of the load.

This invention consists of the details of construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is an elevation of my improved wheel. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section thereof. Fig. 3 is a detail of the hub on a larger scale. Fig. 4 is an outer plan of a lock plate or shoe. Fig. 5 is a transverse section of the rim and felly showing the means for securlng the rim in position. Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2 on a larger scale. F 1g. 7 is an inner plan of a lock plate.

Similar reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

The wheel is formed with any desired type of hub 1 to which may be attached a brake drum 2 and a hub flange 3 rigid with the hub. From this hub extend the spokes 4 of flat spring steel whose inner ends 5 (Fig. 3) are bent to lie against the hub. V-shaped springs 6,; preferably bent up from flat spring steel bars, are forced into place by the spacing wedges 7. Bolts 8 ex tend through the follower plate 9, hub flange 3 and the web of the brake drum and lock these parts to the inner ends of the spokes. The spokes extend radially from the hub toward the felly about two thirds the distance to the felly and are then bent so that the outer ends of of the spokes lie against the inner surface of the felly. The spokes are bent about midway their length but this may be changed as desired. These bolts 8 also pass through'the eyes 10 of radial bolts 11 which extend through holes in the central parts of the wedges, these being formed with radial slots in their sides into which the eyes 10 may extend. When the 13 are screwed down, the spacing wedges are forced into the springs whose have integral pins 19 which extend into these holes in order to position the ends of the springs and the shoes in turn are secured in position by the screws 20 which are threaded into the holes 21 in the shoes at each side of the cross ribs 22 on the shoes. The ends of these shoes taper and the end 23 farthest from the rib 22 of each shoe extends under the end of the spoke above it at approximately the rib 22 of the next shoe. See Fig. 6. Lugs 42 extend down from each shoe near the cross rib 22 on each side of the adjacent spoke to prevent lateral movement of the spoke end on the telly and prevent shearing of the screws 20.

'When the felly 15 is pressed up (Fig. 6) toward the hub, the par't,,l6 of the s oke just above the shoe 17 will roll dbwn against the top of the shoe, thus stifi'ening the spring as it is shortened. At the same time, the parts 16 of the spoke diametrically above that shown in Fig. 6 will roll against the curved outer surface 25 of the shoe, thereby again shortening the spring and increasing its resistance. The spokes at right angles to the vertical will bend between their elbows and the hub, and the other spokes will bend more or less like the vertical or horizontal spokes, depending upon their positions.

I prefer to form the inner surfaces of the shoes with grooves '27 of any-desired character, open at least at one edge of the shoe so as to permit the ready escape of crushed mud which may enter the spaces between the shoesand the parts 16 of the spokes. I also prefer to form ribs or flanges 28 and 29 on the outer edge of each shoe to prevent the entrance of dirt; into the space between the shoe and spoke, and between the shoe and the felly, a similar but shorter flange 30 on the inner side also serving to hold the shoe in the desired position. In Fig. 7, I have shown the small lugs 42 which extend down on each side of the adjacent spoke end and assist the screws 20 in holding the ends of the spokes in al inement.

As the outer end of each spoke is held in position by two screws 20 and the shoe above it, the union between the spokes and the telly is very rigid. The width of the spokes determines the resistance of the wheel against side flexures and will be made sufficient for all such stresses according to the type of the vehicle on which the wheel is employed. Each of the spokes assists in resisting every stress between the felly and hub and the stress on each spoke under normal conditions varies little from the stress on each of the others. While the V-shaped members 6 together with the wedges 7 are spacers, I prefer to make the members 6 of tempered spring steel so that they will serve as resilient supports for the inner ends of the spokes and so contribute to the strength and etiiciency of the wheel, especially in preventing the spokes from breaking at their inner ends.

Any desired rim and tire may be used in connection with my improved wheel and the rim and tire may be secured in position in any desired manner. I have shown a series of bolts 34 extending to the outer side of the wheel to receive the nuts 35 and washers 36 which hold the rim 37 and tire 38 in position. In Fig. 5 I have shown the folly with a flange 39 to position the rim and have shown the inner end 40 of the bolt secured in the telly.

The details and proportions of the various parts of this wheel may all be changed by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention as set forth in the following claims.

I claim 1. In a resilient wheel, the combination of a hub, a series of spokes having their inner' ends lying against the hub, a series of substantially V-shaped springs between the inner ends of the spokes, wedges, and means to force the wedges between the sides of the springs to press the' springs into the spaces between the spokes.

2. In a resilient wheel,.,the combination of a hub, a series of spokes having their inner ends engaging the hub, a series of V-shaped springs between the inner ends of the spokes to give resilient support thereto, a series of wedges fitting between the sides of the springs and comprising sides and ends, and a bolt between the sides of each wedge and a nut on the end of the bolt in engagement with the end of the wedge to force it inward to press the springs against the spokes, said bolts being rigidly supported by said hub.

3. In a resilient wheel, the combination be a hub, a series of spokes, the inner ends of the spokes being bent to lie a ainst the hub, a series of substantially V- aped springs prising naeaeeo between the inner ends of the spokes, and means to force the springs between the spokes, said means comprising a wedge and a bolt to force the wedge between the sides of each spring.

4. In a resilient wheel the combination of a hub having a flange, a follower plate for the hub, spokes extending from the hub to the telly, a series. of springs between the spokes and between the hub flange and folshoe mounted on the inner side of the telly between the ends of adjacent spokes, each shoe having a grooved surface on its inner side on which the adjacent portion of one adjacent spoke is ada ted to roll.

6. In a resilient w eel, the'combination of a hub, a felly, spokes extending radially from the hub a greater portion of the distance to the telly and. then bent so that their ends lie against the inner side of the felly, a shoe mounted on the inner side of the fell between the ends of adjacent spokes, eac shoe having a'grooved surface on its inner side on which the adjacent portion of one adjacent spoke is adapted to roll, each of said spokes having a hole near its end, each of said shoes having a pin extending into the hole in the adjacent spoke end, and means to secure the shoe to the telly.

7. In a resilient wheel, the combinationof a hub, a felly, spokes extending radially from the hub a greater portion of the distance to the felly and then bent so that their ends lie against the inner side of the telly, a shoe mounted on the inner side of the fell between the ends ofadjacent spokes, eac shoe having a grooved surface on its inner side on which the adjacentportion of one adjacent spoke i adapted to roll, each of said spokes having a hole near its end, each of said shoes having a pin extending into the hole in the adjacent spoke end, and means to secure the shoe to the fell comscrews extending from the fe ly into said oes on each side of the spoke ends to draw the shoes toward the telly with the spoke end between the shoes and felly.

8. In a resilient wheel, the combination of a hub, a telly, spokes extending radially from the hub a greater portion ofthe distance to the felly and then bent so that their ends lie against the inner side of the fell a shoe mounted on the inner side of the fol y between the ends of adjacent spokes, each shoe having a grooved surface on its inner side on which the adjacent portion of one adjacent spoke is adapted to roll, each of said shoes also having the outer surface of one end curved to permit the adjacent end of the other adjacent spoke to roll thereon.

9. In a resilient Wheel, the combination of a hub, a felly, spokes extending from the hub to the telly and bent so that their ends lie against the inner side of the felly, and a shoe mounted on the inner side of the felly between the ends of adjacent spokes, each shoe having a surface on its inner side'on Which the adjacent portion of one adjacent spoke is adapted to roll and also having a surface on its outer side on which the adjacent portion of the other adjacent spoke is adapted to r011.

10. In a resilient wheel, the combination of a hub, a felly, spokes extending from the hub to the felly and bent so that their ends lie against the inner side of the felly, and a shoe mounted on the inner side of the felly between the ends of adjacent spokes and having a surface on its inner side on which the adjacent portion of one adjacent spoke is adapted to roll.

11. In a resilient Wheel, the combination of a hub, a felly, spokes extending from the hub to the felly and bent so that their ends lie against the inner side of the telly, and shoes mounted on the inner side of the felly between the ends of adjacent spokes, each shoe having a surface on its outer side on wh ch the adjacent portion of one adjacent spoke is adapted to roll.

ERNEST F. LIECKFELT. 

